


Long Vows

by amoama



Category: Poldark - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Femslash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-12
Updated: 2015-04-12
Packaged: 2018-03-22 13:10:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3730162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amoama/pseuds/amoama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elizabeth and Verity find comfort and strength in the aftermath of Francis's failings. (Set after episode 5).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Long Vows

Francis storms out and a vase breaks. Elizabeth is on the floor in an instant, collecting up the pieces, careless as to the sharp china tearing her skin. Verity kneels beside her, her hands covering Elizabeth’s, slowing her movements, bringing Elizabeth’s fingers to her lips to stop the blood. 

It’s nothing that doesn’t begin and end in loneliness. It’s a comfort, familiar and consolatory. They’ve been together for such a long time now, learning to live in unison since the day of Elizabeth’s marriage. It’s been a slow entwining of cares and worries, and a choice, made on each side: to love each other and lean together rather than apart. 

Their lives are quiet. It’s hard to find enough meaning in the roles assigned to them. Elizabeth as wife and mother. Verity as daughter and sister. Elizabeth does a better job than Verity most days. Geoffrey Charles is a joyous child; his gurgling laughter is infectious. It is something to live for. She stays very still and lets him fill her heart. Some days, it can be enough. 

It’s not the same for Verity. Her world constricts a little more every day. Elizabeth dares not assert herself as lady of the house for fear of taking more of Verity’s purpose away. She is assured, scrupulous and efficient. Elizabeth has watched her managing the house for years. If anything ever happened to Verity, Elizabeth would know what needed to be done. 

Both women know that Francis is ruining their future. Silently they enter into a pact; saving as strenuously as he spends. They both go without new things, they fix and mend and cut corners on all aspects of the housekeeping. They make diversions out of re-doing each other’s dresses for going out in society. The closest they come to discussing it is when they laugh with each other, later, after a dance or a dinner, about this or that complement they received for such old chiffon. 

There is a storm coming and they gravitate closer together, fearing and longing for its arrival.

It hits the day Francis confesses he gambled Grambler and lost. 

Francis flees the room, lost to his shame and guilt. 

The vase breaks. 

Elizabeth is on the floor and Verity is beside her. Elizabeth’s fingers tangle in Verity’s mouth. Elizabeth takes a shuddering breath. Verity’s sad eyes watch her as she places her other hand against Verity’s cheek. She wants to say something, tell Verity that they can weather this together, that having her here is such a great relief, such a source of strength. But they’ve lived side by side for years now and they’ve never had reason to speak of such things. The words she’s reaching for don’t come. 

Verity, as always, comes to her aid.

“It’s alright, Elizabeth,” she kisses Elizabeth’s fingertips, traces her index finger along Elizabeth’s jaw, “Francis will have to listen to us now. He has nowhere else to turn.”

“He has another woman, you know,” Elizabeth tells her. It doesn’t hurt much to say it anymore.

“I know,” Verity replies, as of course, they all know, and she gives a small, wicked, smile, “but so do you.” 

Elizabeth can’t help herself when she smiles back, when she leans a little closer, lets Verity’s lips rest against hers. 

It’s comfort, because Francis gambled everything away and their world is crumbling. 

It’s the familiarity of a friendship forged slowly. Two women long abandoned by all others; working side by side against something they could never hope to prevent. 

Its consolation, because it is not what it could have been. There’s no Francis, or Robert, and no Ross. 

It’s just the two of them. It’s determined, because they will it so, because they will stand together and set themselves against their fates. 

There’s nothing else and that’s the best thing about it. It’s honest like nothing has ever been before, for either of them. 

Verity pulls back slightly and Elizabeth chases her lips, the kisses are soft now but they’re a whisper that lures Elizabeth along, murmuring that there could be more. 

She thinks briefly, clearly, “I want this.” 

And just like that, she decides to have it.


End file.
